Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or award at a ceremony in Zurich.
Messi, 23, won this new prize - which comes from the previous Fifa Player of the Year prize and Ballon d'Or - ahead of his Barca team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
"I'm surprised to win, but happy to be here with my friends"
Messi, who won the two separate awards last year, said: "To win it makes it even more special. I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians."
The last player to win the Ballon d'Or award twice in a row (two consecutive years) was Dutch striker Marco van Basten in 1988 and 1989, while Messi's former Barca colleague Ronaldinho won the Fifa prize in 2004 and 2005.
Many thought Iniesta, who scored the winning goal against Netherlands 1-0 in the World Cup final in Johannesburg in July, and Xavi, who was the brain of the Spanish team, were favourites to win at the ceremony in Switzerland.
But Messi scored a remarkable 60 goals for club and country in 2010 and is widely considered the most gifted footballer of his generation.
The only Spanish winner of either prize was Luis Suarez who won the Ballon D'Or in 1960.
Brazilian striker Marta won the Women's Player of the Year for a fifth consecutive time
Hamit Altintop won the Puskas Award for Goal of the Year for his wonder volley.
